Galapagos Teachers Enhance Teaching Skills at the Fourteenth Educational Institute

Galápagos Teachers Enhance Teaching Skills at the Fourteenth Educational Institute

The 14th Educational Training Institute was a milestone in Galapagos Education. More than 470 teachers, both from primary and secondary school, participated. The collaboration between Galapagos Conservancy and the Galapagos District Education Directorate as well as the Scalecia Foundation led to an institute centered around “Ecotourism” that aims to promote sustainable tourism while also protecting natural resources.

Focus on Ecotourism & Sustainable Tourism

The teachers underwent a 40-hour intensive training program to integrate ecotourism in the Galapagos Contextualized Curriculum. The program was enhanced with hands-on fieldtrips organized by the ECOS Foundation. This foundation collaborated closely with civil society to create Experiential Learning Scenarios.

This educational strategy’s ultimate goal is to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable travel among youth. The facilitators stressed the importance of responsible resource usage and the role of sustainable tourism in the region as an important economic activity.

Galapagos Teachers Enhance Teaching Skills at the Fourteenth Educational Institute
Galápagos educators display their zeal for learning, engaging in a comprehensive 40-hour training program focused on ecotourism. ©Galápagos Conservancy

Impact on Education and Community

Washington Tapia our general director highlighted the significant contribution of the institute to Galapagos Education. He said that the institute provides educators with essential tools to help them raise a generation of Galapagos conservationists who are aware of the island’s uniqueness and committed to its preservation.

The Educational Institutes are important in enhancing the curriculum and promoting sustainability. The institutes began in 2016 and have now become an annual fixture of the Education for Sustainability Program. This is a collaborative effort between Galapagos Conservancy (GC), the Galapagos District Education Directorate (GDED) and the Scalecia Foundation, under a framework of inter-institutional collaboration.

Jenny Macias is the director of the Education for Sustainability Program. She stated that this initiative goes beyond training teachers. The ultimate goal of the program is to raise environmental awareness and improve educational quality among more than 7,000 students in the province. Jenny said that by empowering teachers to use innovative and sustainable educational approaches, future Galapagos generation leaders will be shaped who actively contribute to conservation of the archipelago, as a social-ecological system.

Galapagos Teachers Enhance Teaching Skills at the Fourteenth Educational Institute
Hands-on, experiential learning sessions core elements of the innovative teaching methodologies adopted at the institute. ©Galápagos Conservancy

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